Reliable and sustainable irrigation forms the backbone of both agricultural growth and ecological balance. With the objective of strengthening long-term irrigation capacity in the state, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis accelerated the implementation of water conservation and irrigation initiatives across Maharashtra.
After conducting a comprehensive review of pending and ongoing projects under the Water Resources Department, he granted fresh or revised administrative clearances to 381 projects to ensure their timely completion. At the same time, 903 schemes that had remained inactive for over three years and had become unviable or irrelevant were discontinued.This decisive intervention helped bring more than 30 lakh hectares of farmland under assured irrigation, while also preventing the unnecessary diversion and wastage of public funds. Further details of these measures are discussed below.
30 lakh hectares of area irrigated through 381 irrigation project schemes
At a recent high-level review meeting of the Water Resources Department on 12 June 2025, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stressed the need to complete irrigation and pumped storage hydroelectric projects within fixed timelines and instructed officials to ensure strict adherence to deadlines.Following a detailed assessment of ongoing and proposed works, he granted fresh and revised administrative clearances to 185 irrigation projects, which together are expected to bring 26,65,909 hectares under irrigation. In addition, 196 projects requiring repairs and modernization were also approved, aimed at providing irrigation coverage to another 4,02,764 hectares. In total, 381 projects received approval, with the potential to irrigate 30,68,673 hectares of agricultural land across Maharashtra.Simultaneously, the government sanctioned 24 agreements valued at Rs. 3,41,721 crore with 15 companies for the development of pumped storage hydropower projects. These initiatives are expected to significantly enhance the state’s power generation capacity. The projects are projected to produce around 62,125 MW of electricity and generate approximately 96,190 employment opportunities, contributing both to energy security and large-scale job creation.
Administrative approval of 903 water conservation schemes cancelled
On April 28, 2025, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis convened a review बैठक of the Water Resources Department to assess irrigation schemes that had remained incomplete for various reasons. After examining their status, he decided that projects lying stalled for over three years would have their administrative sanctions withdrawn.Acting on this direction, the department issued a Government Resolution on June 5, 2025, cancelling approvals for 903 projects across Maharashtra. These included minor irrigation dams, Kolhapur-type weirs, percolation tanks, storage ponds, and similar works. The move triggered criticism from opposition parties, who argued that the government should have granted additional time instead of scrapping the projects.However, the administration maintained that the decision would curb unnecessary diversion of public funds and allow resources to be redirected toward viable and time-bound schemes. Many of the discontinued projects were delayed due to unresolved land acquisition issues, lack of contractor cooperation, and prolonged procedural hurdles. Given these persistent obstacles, the government chose to discontinue the non-performing schemes and prioritize initiatives that could be executed efficiently and deliver tangible results.Region-wise, the cancelled projects included 36 in Pune, 19 in Satara, 11 in Sangli, 48 in Solapur, and 416 across Ahilyanagar, Mhalunge, Thane, and Ratnagiri in western Maharashtra. In northern Maharashtra, 2 were in Alyani (Murbad), 10 in Dhule, 1 in Nandurbar, 3 in Jalgaon, and 4 in Nashik. In Marathwada, 17 projects were in Beed, 21 in Nanded, 16 in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, 9 in Latur, and 34 in Jalna. In Vidarbha, the list comprised 3 in Nagpur, 5 in Gondia, 133 in Chandrapur, 48 in Bhandara, 8 in Wardha, 1 in Amravati, 41 in Washim, and 15 in Buldhana.
The state’s total irrigation capacity is 56.33 lakh hectares
During 2023–24, irrigation schemes executed by the state’s Water Resources Department brought 39.27 lakh hectares of land under irrigation coverage. By June 30, 2023, the overall irrigation potential in Maharashtra had increased to 56.33 lakh hectares. As noted in the Maharashtra Economic Survey 2024–25, a total of 3,636 irrigation works—comprising 407 major and medium projects along with 3,229 minor projects—have either been completed or are currently underway.The steady rise in irrigation capacity reflects a phased and policy-driven approach adopted by the government led by Devendra Fadnavis. While the administration discontinued 903 long-pending and non-performing schemes to avoid unnecessary expenditure of public funds, it simultaneously granted new or revised approvals to 381 irrigation projects with clear timelines for completion.These parallel decisions underline the government’s focused strategy to strengthen long-term and sustainable irrigation infrastructure across the state.
